A conventional vehicle passenger door typically includes a pair of hinges attached between the door frame and the vehicle body. The door swings outwardly from the vehicle body, from a closed position to an open position. However, this arrangement has some disadvantages. For example, a passenger side door which is fitted with a hinge requires a relatively large open space beside the vehicle to enable the door to be opened without striking another vehicle or object. Consequently, attempts have been made to improve upon the conventional vehicle passenger door.
For instance, sliding doors have been developed for minivans as a means for providing improved access to the vehicle interior. Typically, the sliding vehicle door is mounted to the vehicle via a support mechanism which includes an upper track, a center track, and a lower track on which the sliding door is supported. Although such configurations are widely used, typical sliding door support mechanisms would not be suitable for use with a front door due to the lack of support for an upper track ahead of the windshield. Consequently, there remains a need for an improved vehicle passenger door which allows access to the vehicle interior without limitation from the proximity of the vehicle to adjacent vehicles.